Local singer Michelle Treacy may not have made it to the live shows of American Idol, but she was among the final cuts and she did have the experience of a lifetime during Hollywood Week.

Hollywood Week is when all the contest-ants who earned a golden ticket during the audition gather to be put through the paces over two more rounds with the hope of being among the final 24 contestants who make it to the live broadcast.

Treacy’s American Idol journey started last September when she had to take part in an online audition and interview with the show’s producers. After singing her version of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”, she received an invitation to audition in front of the show’s celebrity judges, Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan in Santa Barbara, California.

After singing a reprieve of “You Oughta Know”, Treacy was asked to do a second song for the judges. She chose, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt. Her performance was good enough to get her a ticket to Hollywood along with 142 other lucky contestants, out of the more than 60,000 hopefuls who started the process.

Once in Hollywood, Treacy and the other contestants had to perform a song, one by one, after being chosen totally at random.

Treacy used the opportunity to sing her latest original song entitled, “Wish You Could Have Stayed A While”, about a friend who passed away unexpectedly. She was the only contestant to sing a capella.

Unfortunately, her performance did not get her into the next round of 56, but it did get her some very positive feedback from the judges and her fellow contestants.

Despite not making it to the live shows, Treacy says Hollywood Week was one of the best experiences of her life. She was able to get to know a number of the other contestants including the colourful Ziggy and Jack Blocker.

Now back in Toronto, Treacy is working on tons of new music and she’s looking forward to working as a performing ambassador on the No Time for That Anti-Bullying Tour powered by BRP.

Anti-bullying is something that’s near and dear to Treacy’s heart. One of the first schools she plans to visit is St. Clare Catholic School in Fallingbrook, where she went to school as a youngster.

“It’s going to be amazing,” says Treacy. “I get to share my stories and allow them to tell their stories and I can sing a couple of songs. Honestly, it’s a dream come true.”

Treacy also plans to start making some of her new songs available on Apple Music and Spotify. Her American Idol experience has been a huge motivational factor.

“American Idol has made me think about who I want to be as a performer and how to use my platform to help others,” says Treacy, who also wants to mentor to young singers just getting started in the business.